Therapeutic appliance



July 4, 1933- G. E. cRosLEY THERAPEUTIC APPLIANCE Filed Jan. 18, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @J6/HOW:

Geo/yeEC/Usly @Gem g b a ymm' w@ Patented July 4, 1933` oiffricrflfd 'i GEORGE E. CROSLEY, 0F MILTON, VTISUONSN, ASSGNR TO THE BURDICK CORPORA- ,'IION, OF LMILTON, ".VISCOlSNfA CORFOBATCN lOF DELAWARE rrinaarnu'rro nrrnrancn Application filed January lf3, 1929. Serial No. 333,342.

My invention relates to therapeutic appliances.

It Will be described with particular reference to an appliance especially adapted for A applying red and infra-red rays locally to ailected parts of the body.

It has been found that red and infra-red rays penetrate human living tissue and are n there converted into heat with salutary eiilect upon various diseased conditions. But, heretofore, it has been possible to apply such rays to the body only with accompanying diiticulties and limitations that have, under some conditions, proved to be seriously detrimen- 1 tal factors.

One of the diiiiculties heretofore encoun-v tered in the use of red and infra-red rays is the fact that the generators also produce a considerable amount of heat which reaches the parts to be treated by conduction and convection and is absorbed by and adects the skin and outer layers of tissue. Furthermore, the appliances have been of a relatively general or extensive area application type 2t rather than of a type permitting` localization o f the applicationof the rays to substantially the diseased region. In consequence, in order to obviate objectionableV discomfort to the i patient, it has been necessary tolimit the amount of red and infra-red energy applied andto reinove the source to suoli distances from the patient that the effectiveness of .the treatment is greatly curtailed. `In other i Words, the feasible and usable intensity of 33 the desired red andinfra-redfeiiergy has been largely dependent upon and lessened by the unavoidable presence of phenomena produc-V tive of discomfort or other objectionable conditions that have governed orl at least subsirable application. Furthermore, it has been practically impossible to apply red and infra-red rays directly and only locally to relatively small areas, such as is often de- 5 sirable in mouth, throat, nose and other body cavity Work. And with appliances hereto fore available it has been vpractically impossible accurately and repeatedly to control and 'y vary the intensity of the application. 0 One of the objects of this invention is to stantially influenced the intensity of the' de-v provide an improved appliance for` applying i'edaiid infra-red rays. 4 ;l l i f A further obj ect is to provide an appliance` for concentrating or localiziiig'tlie.application of red and infra-red rays; Y Another object isvto provide an appliance particularly adapted for applying suchrays as body cavities.

i Another object is to provide an appliance wherein the patient is subject only to thedesired red and infra-red rays,l convective and` conductive heat being substantially eliminated. #A :furtherL object is to provide an infrared ray appliance in ivhich vthe intensity of the rays may be accurately'regulated.

Other objects andvadvaiitages Will hereinafter appear. Y In accordance With the general featureso'f the invention, a ray generatingelement orf` generator is provided,A Which7 when heated,`l`

to localized areas not readily accessible, suoli-- will emit a largeproportion of red and in-A fra-red energy. These rays are conducted to the desired area by an applicator that local-V izes their application and'Wlioserelation'to the generating element may be accurately and closely regulated to control their intensity'.I Substantially all ofthe undesirable rays are absorbed so that they do not reach the patient.- ln the drawings:

Fig. lis a longitudinal .section of an appliance embodying the invention;`

F ig. 2 is a cross-section taken on vthe line 2-2ofFig-l5- Fig. 3 S-B'of Fig. l; i

F ig.1 et is a cross-section taken on the line 4-1lofFig/1;

Fig. 5 is a. cross-section taken 'on the' line 5-5 of Figi;`

Fig. 6 isa plan view of the appliance; and is a cross-section taken on the line The appliance chosen for-illustration ,coinprises, in general7 a ray generating element4 ll, enclosed in a casing or housing having a cross-section taken on the line j an inner Wall l2 and an outer Wall 14 that are spaced apart to provide `a chamber for the circulation of a suitable cooling medium7 loo such as water. The housing adjustably supcomposed of tungsten, platinum, niehroine or other suitable materials, such lthat when an electric current flows therethrough it will glow to the desired degree of color and brightness. Embedding materials other than quartz may be usedrsuch as carboruiidumv and the like. Y* Y Aflug 10 is formed on the upper side of outer wall 14 by which the appliance may be 1 suspended on a hookv9 depending from any suitable support. The rear of` the' inner casing is closed by a removable cap 13V which,

particularly if the embedding material of the generator is transparent, may be curved and polishedto form a reflector. A removable cap 15 serves to close the rear end of the outer casing. By thus closing the inner and outer casings by aligned removable caps access to the Acooling-fluid chamber or to the central generatorchamber may be readily had.l v

A vcylindrically Vshaped applica-tor support 16 extends forwardly from the housing and slidably carries an applicator holder 17.,

Holder 17v is provided at each end' with an annular groove having a material such as feltV or rubber therein to engage and .hold

i .I anvapplicator rod 21, preferably of' quartz.

' Y Other materials, `such as glass or rock salt, 40. may -be used as applicator rods if desired and `conditions permi-t.`

Y One. end of rod 21 extends into the generator chamber into close proximity to generating element 11. This end of the rod, being always quite close to the ray generator, has a tendency to become heated ,even though the temperature of the generating chamber is kept at a low value by the surrounding coolingchaniber. Invorder to increase the cooling rate of this end of the rod7 a col'larS, of

' a material having a highheat conductivity Vsuch as copper is placed around the rod vin s uohfproX-imity asto provide just suiiicient clearance for the rod to slide therethrough;

The outer periphery ofthe collarv is in engagement with the inner wall' of the cooling chamber so that a path of high heatvconductivity is afforded between the inner` end of the applicator and the cooling medium. i

On its 'lower side holder 17 is provided with a rack 22 while an arm 23 extending downwardly from support `16 carries a worin .wheel 24, the teeth of which mesh with the teethof rack 22..y i By manually rotating the worm wheel,V the distance between the rear end or base of the quartz applicator rod and the generating element may be varied.

In certain kinds of treatments it may be desirable to screen out certain wave lengths of rays generated by the ray generator. Thus it may be desirable in one case to treat a patient with infra-red rays of a long wave length `and in another case to treat the patient with a ray of a shorter wave length. ln order to accomplish this result a channel 39 is provided leading' through walls 12 and 14; of the generating and cooling chambers through which a screen 40 may be inserted to extend between the applicator and the ray generator.A The character of material used in the screen will, of course,.depeiid upoiithe type of ray to be screened out. In a large majority of cases the appliance will be used i without a screen, since the rays generated by the generatordescribed may be used with vhighly satisfactory results in vmost cases without screening. A .p p

An indicator 26 may be attached tothe upper forward end Vof holder 17 and provided the applicator rod and generating velement* may rbe calibrated so that their relationship may be ldetermined and` any desired vcondition repeated as desired. In, order tliat the operator may know the temperature yat the remote orfemittiiig end of the. applicator' rod, `a thermocouple 20 may .be embedded therein and connectedto la suitable indicatiiigineans shown diagrammatically in Fig. 6.

The housing has a suitable grip .26 .to facilitate its being held and manipiilated.V AGrrip 26 has a cylindrical aperturethereincommunicating with the generating chamber" and provided with al shoulder QSlfagainst which asupportiiig block 29 for the generating element may rest. The supporting block is held in -positioii'by a pair 'of rigid conductors 31 which lead to a plug 32 and makerelec trical connection with any suitable source of electricalcurrent through a cord 33.- y Plug 32 is provided with a washer` 34 retained thereon by a screw 35 extending into the plug. `Washer 34. engages an :annular groove with;- in the grip and. serves .to retain the plug therein. The generating element7 supporti-ng block and plug may be removed V.from thev appliaiiceas a. .unit by removing the lowery cap 80 of theggrip. y Y n The :grip'is provided with a pair of ,pasf sagesBG which communicate withtthe -cooling-fluid chamber. One of lthese vpassages `is.

provided with a tube 37T Vlthat :extends finto fa Each :of the passages is provided at the lower end 'of the grip with a flexible hose 38 one of which may be attached to a suitable source of water supply, such as ajfaucet, while the other hose'leads to any suitable place for discharging the water.

The operation of the appliance is as follows: When the operator wishes to treat a patient with infra-red rays, an electric current is conducted through the generating element by voperating any suitable switch, not shown, and the water is caused to circulate through the cooling-huid chamber surrounding the generator chamber. The intensity of the rays may be regulated as required by rotating the worm wheel 24 to vary the gap between the generator and the 'base of the'applicator rod.

Bynoting the position of indicator 26 on the scale, any desired intensity may be obtained. The heat produced bythe generating element during the generation et the rays is carried from the generator chamber by the cooling medium circulating in the surrounding cooling-fluid chamber and they Ared `and intra-red rays from the generating element will be transmitted along the` quartz rod.- The energy. directed rearwardly from the generating element will strike the concave polished surface kof cap 13 and, after reflection, will also pass along the quartz rod. rEhe quartz rod 'transmits the red and intrared rays with practically no absorption 'so that the rod will not become heated thereby, permitting practically all of the generated red and intra-red rays to be applied by contacting the rounded end of the quartz rod with the parts to be treated.

However', because the loss ot energy to the applicator rod is very materially influenced by the length of the air gap between the generator and the base of the rod, the intensity ot' the rays conducted by the applicator may be regulated between quite wide limits.

In the event it is unnecessary to afford such effective cooling would be obtained from the-use of a circulating cooling medium such as water,-tor example, if a lamp is intended for treatments ot only relatively short duration, the cooling chamber may be lled with a poor heat vconducting material such as asbestos toprevent the appliance trom getting Y hot on the outside. The appliance then 0perates satisfactorily for such periods in which the possibility of overheating is absent.

Having thus described the nature and an embodiment of my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is as follows:

1. A therapeutic appliance comprising, an element Jfor generating` red and infra-red rays, a chamber for housing the element, a conductor in the form of a quartz rod extending into the housing, a holder for the quartz rod carried by the'housing, and' means for adjusting the conductor so that the distance between the element and the end of the conductor proximal to the element may be varied,

thus regulating the intensity of radiation available at the distal end of the conductor.

2. A therapeutic appliance comprising,an element for generating red and intra-red rays, a chamber for housing the element, a quartz rod extending into the chamber, a support'carried by the chamber', a holder for the quartz rod slidably mounted in the supi port for varying the distance of the rod from the element and the intensity of heating oi"A the latter,v and means for moving the holder in the support.

. 3. A therapeutic appliance comprising, an

element for generating red 'and' infra-red rays, means for conducting the rays from the elemcnt,fand means for varying the position of the conducting means with respect to the element to control the intensity otl the rays.

il. A therapeutic appliance comprising, an

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and attached to the element for heating theV Y element, a cooling chamber substantially surrounding the generating chamber, a tube extending into the cooling chamber adapted to conduct a cooling medium into the chamber, the cooling medium leaving the chamber through'a passage in the grip, and

la rod extending into the generating chamber in liquid tight connection therewith to conduct the red and infra-red rays therefrom.

6. A therapeutic appliance comprising a grip having a plurality of passages therein, a generating chamber supported by the grip,

an element of said chamber for generatingl red and intra-red rays, a lcooling chamber substantially surrounding the generating chamber, a tube extending into the cooling chamber adapted to conduct a cooling medium into the chamber, the cooling medium being conducted from the chamber through a passage in the grip, a rod extending into the generating chamber to conduct the rays therefrom, a support for the, rod integral With-said chambers and means for moving the rod longitudinally in the support toregulate the intensity of the rays.

7. A therapeutic appliance comprising a red and infra-red ray generator, a rod ex'- tending into close proximity to the generator to conduct the rays therefrom, and an annular conducting member surrounding' the end of the rod proximal to the generating eleindicia on thebody portionffor indicating f ted the apparatus;

9. ,A hand operable,therapeutic appliance comprising a body portion, a downwardly extending handle portion, an element lfor generating light rays mounted in said body portion, electric conductors connected thereto vand extending outward'through said handle portion, a quai-'tz rod extending into said body portion, a holder 'lor the quartz rod Vcarried by said housing,

means vfor moving he holder to shiftthe quartz rod, andcvisible the position o'i 'the quartz rod. I

10. A hand operable therapeutic appliance comprising a body portion having an auxiliary housing therein, a downwardly extending handle portion, an element for generating light rays mounted .in said auxiliary housing, electric conductors `connected thereto and extending outward through said handie portion, a `quartz rod extending intosaid auxiliary housing, a holder for said quartz rod carried by said housing, a rack and pinion mechanism for movingthe holder of the quartz rod, and cooperating means between said housing and said holder to visibly indicate the position of said quartz rod.

1l. A hand operable therapeutic appliance Vcomprising a housing member, a handle on said housing, an element for generating light rays mounted in said housing, electric` conductors connected thereto and extending outward through said handle', a quartz rod extending into said housing, a heat conductingriiig positioned in said housing around the. end of said quartz rod, an insulating holder for saidvquartz rod carried by said housing,` and means on said housing cooperating with means oil-said holder-.for manually sliifting'the position of said-quartz rod out'- wardly or inwardlyV from saidray generating element.V Y 1 Y v Inwitness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 15th day of January, 1929.

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